RVer Uses Solar For His Dining Pleasure

This week I caught up with RVer Robert Toby from Cave Junction, Oregon. I was attracted to his campsite because he was using a solar oven. Robert was dry camping or “boondocking” in the Southern California desert. He’s been using a solar oven to make dinner for six years and loves the results. He likes riding his bicycle and exploring and while he’s out for the day, his evening meal is being prepared by the sun. Today he was cooking a pot full of beans. When he opened the tempered glass door a small cloud of steam emerged from the box. He pulled the lid off the pot to revealing a boiling pot of yummy smelling beans. This is a commercially made solar oven that he modified by adding wheels and an elevation locking gimbal box so he can more efficiently point the oven at the sun. To get the sun’s rays lined up on the pot he holds his arm across the plane of the collapsible stainless steel reflectors and adjusts the position of the oven until the shadow of his hand falls directly on the pot. Since the sun moves during the day it’s a good idea to adjust the oven several times for optimum performance, but Robert is frequently gone during the day so he leaves the oven aimed at the path the sun takes across the sky which is sufficient to cook his meals. You can use the commercial version without any modification and it works even when it’s cold outside. Typical operation temperatures are between 300 and 400 degrees depending on how well it’s aimed. These ovens work best on cloudless days and can save you money on propane. This unit is available from Sun Oven for $279.00 including a black round covered enamelware cooking pot and thermometer. You can learn more about this product here Sun Oven. Robert likes this oven because the one piece collapsible reflectors allow for easy storage. He made his own solar oven one time, but likes this model best. He can place two pots on the gimbal platform if he wants a two course meal. You can cook anything in these ovens and they are easy to use and maintain. The best part is they don’t cost anything to operate and are environmentally friendly. And no, they don’t work in moonlight! Lighting up your day - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing